Draft and buffer gear



July 3l,A 1934. 1, UNK 1,968,495

DRAFT AND BUFFER l GEAR Filed June 28, 1953 Invenor Jblzn E Link Patented July 31, 1934 naam' lliNp .BUFFER GEAR John' H. Link, Merion Station, Pa.,` assigner to W. H. Miner, Inc., of Delaware Chicago, Ill., a corporation application June 1,933, Serial 1%6'1'L965I 'z Claims. 1(01.` 213-9) `This invention relates to-improvements in draft and buffer gears especially adapted foruse in connectionwith mine cars. l

, One object of the invention is to provide a com- 5 `bined draft and buffer gear for cars, wherein both the draft' andbuing shocks are cushioned by the same shock absorbing means. Y -Another object ofthe invention` is to provid in a gear ofwthe v:character indicated, including l0 shockabsorbing means, mechanism for compressing,V the shock absorbing means inwardly toward Y, limit inward movement of the'head. Between the endl of the car in both buff and `draf'trY WA more4 specic object ofthe invention is to provide a combined draft andl buffer gear for 151i mine cars, includingybuffer heads at opposite sides of the end of the car, shock absorbing spring means at opposite sides of the car yieldingly resisting inward movement of the buffer heads, and af draft member centrally of the en'd of the car, wherein means is provided for transmitting thedraft movement from the draft member tothe buffer heads and effecting movement of the buffer heads in at direction reverse to the movement of` the draft member to compress the shock absorb- C ing spring car'.

` Other objects ofthe invention will more clearly appear i from the description-and claims hereinafter following.

In the'drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure `lris a horizontal sectional view, partly broken away, of oneend portion of a mine car, illustrating my improvements .in connection therewith, the section corresponding substantiall 1y` to the line i1`1 :of Figure 2: And-Figure 2 is a frcntelevational view of the structure shown-in Figure 1.. 1. a l V In said drawing, '10 designates the end portion of a mine car,"to whichffmyv improved combined 401, draft Aand buffer gear is attached. My improve- 'ments' comprise broadly a housing A; apair of bufling heads B-LB; adraft member C; a `pair of levers VD-D; and two fsets" of sprin'gsE--E and The housing A comprises a vertical end wall 11, spaced side walls 12--12, and top and bottom walls 13'and 14.` The side walls 12--12 and the top and bottom walls 13 and 14 are preferably formedintegral with thewall 11 and project outwardly therefrom. The wallfll `may form an integral part ofl the end sill ofthe` car, which end sillmay also form an integralpart of the underframe structure of the'car,-ior:r'nay comprise a separate member secured to said underframe structure. The top and bottom walls .134 and .14

means inwardly toward the end of the of the housing A are cut away at the center to accommodate the usual coupling link, which isconnected to the draft member C. The side walls 12-12 have -inwardly turned,` relatively thiol:` flanges 15-15 at their forward ends, which form front stops for the bufling heads B-B. At each side of the housing A inwardly of the correspondingwall 12,-the wall 11 is providedwith a for-j wardly projectingrrelatvely short, verticalwall 16, which cooperates withthe corresponding buer head B, as hereinafter pointed out, vso as to the `wall 16 ateach side of the housing A and the correspondingside wall 12, the top and bottom walls .are provided with ribs 17-17, which have their front surfaces in alignment with the end face of the wall 16 so as to be engaged by the inner end ofthe buffing head B when the latter is stopped in its movement by the wall 16.

l'The buffer heads B-B, which are disposed at opposite sides of the gear, are of llike design, each being in the form of a cap` having a front'wall 18 provided with a rounded outer bumng surface. At the inner end, each head B is provided with laterally outwardly projecting stop `flanges 19--19L The stop flange 19 at the outer side of the bufling head B has shouldered engagement with the flange `15 at the corresponding side of the housing A to limit outward movement of the head B.

The draft member C is arranged between the puffing` heads B-B and has laterally projecting arms 20.-'20 at opposite sides thereof, which cooperate with the levers D-D, as hereinafter pointed out. The central portion of the draft member C is enlarged, vas clearly shown in Figure 1, and has a vertical opening 21 therethrough adaptedto receive the usual coupling pin which connects the draft member to the couplingv link. Each arm-20 of the draft member C has a forwardly projecting, angular extension 22 at the extremity.thereof. The enlarged portion of the draft member C has avilat rear surface 23, which normally bearsfonthe wall llof the housing A. At opposite sides ofthe draft member C, the top and bottom walls 13- and `14 of the housing A are preferably provided with guide ribs 24-24, which cooperate with the ends of the arms 20-20.

The levers D-D, which are disposed at oppo site sides of the draft member C, are'of-like design, each `having an enlarged central portion 25 and oppositely projecting innerand outer arms 26 and 27. -The outer arm 27 engages the inner flange 19 of the corresponding bufiing head B, as clearly shown in Figure 1. The inner arm 26 is offset rearwardly and has a hooked end 28, which engages over the projection 22 on the arm 20 at the corresponding side of the draft member C. Each lever D is pivotally supported on the housing A by means of a bolt 29 extending through the enlarged central portion of the lever and top and bottom walls 13 and 14 of the housing 4A. As shown in Figure 2, the top and bottom walls 13 and 14 are preferably thickened to reinforce the same at the points where the bolt 29 is secured.

The two sets of springs E-E and E-E are arf ranged at opposite sides of the housing Aeach set comprising two coils having their opposite ends bearing respectively on the wall 11 of the'.

housing A and the inner side of the front `wall 18 of the corresponding bufng head B.

The operation of my improved combined draft and bufng gear is as follows:V When a pulling force is applied to the draft member C, the-same` is moved outwardly away from the end of the car, thereby rocking the levers D-D on their pivots.

'and forcing the buning heads B-B inwardly against the springs E-E and lil-E.` As will beevident, during this action the buiiing heads B-B are rocked on the flanges 15-15 of the side wallsv 12-12 of the housing A.

During a bufling action, the buf-ling heads ing A. Inward movement of the buffing heads B-B is limited by engagement of the inner ends of the same with the walls 16--16 and the ribs 17-17 and 17-17 of the housing A, thereby restricting the movement in both buff and draft.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention,'but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with fixed abutment means on the end of the car; of a supporting member; a pulling member movable on said supporting member; buing heads at oppositesides of the pulling member, said heads being slidable in.- wardly on the supporting member; cushioning means interposed between each head and the abutment means and opposing inward movement of said head; and lever means swingableabout xed pivot means on said supporting member at opposite sides of the pulling member for transmitting the draft force from the pulling member to the bufng heads respectively for forcing said heads inwardly toward said fixed abutment means.

2. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with fixed abutment means on the end of the car; of a supporting member; a buffer head movable inwardly onV the supporting member; cushioning means interposed between said head and abutment means opposing' inward movement of the buffer head; a pulling member movable outwardly away from the end of the car in draft, said pulling member being slidingly y guided on said supporting member; and lever 3. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with fixed abutment means on the end of the car; of a supporting member; a buffer head movable inwardly on the supporting member; cushioning means interposed between said head and abutment means opposing inward movement of the buffer head; a pulling member movable 'outwardly away lfrom the end vof the car in draft, said pulling member being slidingly guided on said supporting member; and a lever pivoted between its ends on a fixed pivot on said supporting member and having one end engaging the pulling member and the other end engaging the-buffer head lfor forcing the latter inwardly when `the pulling member is moved outwardly away from the end of the car.

4. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with fixed abutment means on the end of the car; of a supporting member; laterally spaced buffer heads movable inwardly on the supportingmember; cushioning means interposed between each head and the abutment means, said cushioning means opposing inward movement of the buffer heads, each buier head having a laterally projecting ange on the inner side thereof; a pulling member movable'v out-'- wardly away from the end of the car in draft, said pulling member being mounted'on the supporting member at a point between said buffer heads, said pulling member having laterally projecting arms; and a pair-of levers at opposite sides.

of the pulling member, each lever being pivoted between its ends on the supporting member, each lever having its opposite ends bearing respectively on the front side of the corresponding armof the pulling `member and the flange of the corre sponding buffer head. 5. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with fixed abutment means en the end of the car; of a supporting member; a pair of laterally separated buffer heads movable inwardly on the supporting member; cushioning means bearing on said abutment means and opposing inward movement of saidbufler heads; a pulling member movable outwardly away from the end of the car in draft, said pulling member being movably mounted on said supporting member between said' buffer heads; and a pair of levers between said buffer headsl and pulling member, each lever being fulcrumed between its ends on the supporting member and having its opposite ends in rocking engagement with said pulling member and one of Vsaid buffer heads respectively".

v6. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with fixed abutment means at the end of the car; of a supporting structure at said' end of the car; a draft member having oppositely extending, laterally projecting arms, said draft `member being slidable outwardly on said supporting structure; buffer heads at opposite sides of the draft member, said buffer heads beingY movable'on saidsupporting structure, each buffer head having inner and outer laterally projecting flanges atA opposite sidesV thereof,` the outer flange of each head having shouldered engagement with the supporting structure to limit outward movement of said head; cushioning means yieldingly bearing on said abutment means and opposing inward movement ofv the buffer heads; and levers at opposite sides of the draft member operatively connecting the latter tothe buffer heads, each lever being fulcrumed between its ends on said supporting structure and having its opposite ends in rocking engagement, respectively with the inner flange of one of said buier heads and the arm at the corresponding side of the draft member.

'7. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with a housing xed to the end of the car, said housing having spaced side walls and a transverse rear wall, said side Walls having inturned flanges at their outer ends; of a pair of laterally spaced levers pivoted between their ends on said housing, thereby providing inner and outer arms on said levers; a pair of buier heads at opposite sides of said gear, each buffer head having laterally projecting 

